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A total of 12 out of 14 countries within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) met here today for an Extra-Ordinary meeting of the Ministers responsible for Higher Education and Training in the region. The delegations were made up of Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Directors-General (Permanent Secretaries) of Higher Education and Training from member-countries of the SADC.

This was an extra-ordinary meeting in that it was not a regular SADC meeting of the Ministers of Education and Training, but one which was specifically convened to address the revival strategies for Higher Education and Training system in the region. It was called to deliberate on pertinent issues relating to higher education and training in the region.

The meeting started with the gathering of senior officials yesterday who established a Technical Committee on Higher Education Training. The Technical Committee will assist with the implementation of the SADC Protocol on Higher Education and Training which came into effect in 1997. It will also implement issues identified by the Minister responsible for Higher Education in the region.

The ultimate objective is to develop a Higher Education and Training plan for the region through discussions on the status and challenges of the sector, based on the work that has been undertaken by the Southern African Regional University Association (SARUA). SARUA made a presentation on Higher Education in Southern Africa, which examined Current Trends, Challenges and Recommendations.

The meeting took the form of a policy dialogue which was underpinned by SARUA’s presentation and covered in the main the following three plenary thematic discussion areas:

Thematic Discussion 1: Access and Participation Rates.This explored the current trend of participation rates and provision of higher education including the role of private higher education, its potential and challenges.
Thematic Discussion 2: Funding and Capacity Building: This examined the funding of higher education and requirements for capacity building in the region. Discussions covered possible scenarios of funding higher education which are sustainable and point direction to proper investment for higher education in the Region in the next 10 - 15 years.
Thematic Discussion 3: Research and Monitoring. This examined research capacity of higher education institutions in the region as well as data collection and reporting on higher education. It considered recommendations for capacity development in this regard and the best possible strategy for improving research and monitoring to benefit the region.

Out of these discussions, the policy vision for the region will be translated into a regional strategic framework for higher education and training which will outline key priorities for both the short and long terms.

The implementation of all the decisions taken at the meeting will be carried out by the Technical Committee on Higher Education and Training, Research and Development. This will be an important step if all the plans we have made make at a forum of this nature are to be effectively and successfully implemented in a manner that results in positive impact on the higher education and training sector within the SADC region.